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The Supreme Court's Anti-trans Passport Ruling
Posted 8 hours agohttps://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....ghts_passports
This decision from the conservative majority Supreme Court puts Trans and intersex people in danger when traveling to many countries.
After the decision, Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on Xitter,“Attorneys at TheJusticeDept just secured our 24th victory at the Supreme Court’s emergency docket. Today’s stay allows the government to require citizens to list their biological sex on their passport. In other words: there are two sexes, and our attorneys will continue fighting for that simple truth,”
Her "Simple truth" Is nothing but an antiscientific lie,
In a scathing dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said, “The documented real-world harms to these plaintiffs obviously outweigh the government’s unexplained (and inexplicable) interest in immediate implementation of the passport policy,” she said, and went on to say her colleagues had, quote, “once again paved the way for the immediate infliction of injury without adequate (or, really, any) justification."
This decision from the conservative majority Supreme Court puts Trans and intersex people in danger when traveling to many countries.
After the decision, Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on Xitter,“Attorneys at TheJusticeDept just secured our 24th victory at the Supreme Court’s emergency docket. Today’s stay allows the government to require citizens to list their biological sex on their passport. In other words: there are two sexes, and our attorneys will continue fighting for that simple truth,”
Her "Simple truth" Is nothing but an antiscientific lie,
In a scathing dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said, “The documented real-world harms to these plaintiffs obviously outweigh the government’s unexplained (and inexplicable) interest in immediate implementation of the passport policy,” she said, and went on to say her colleagues had, quote, “once again paved the way for the immediate infliction of injury without adequate (or, really, any) justification."
Ladies And Gentlemen, Mr. Cardamom
Posted a day agoAKA Zohran Mamdani.
He's a man of many talents, and this is a real bop.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQV.....PkPmE&t=9s
He's a man of many talents, and this is a real bop.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQV.....PkPmE&t=9s
Cease Fire? What Cease Fire?
Posted 2 days agoSince the beginning of the "Cease fire" in Gaza on Otober fifteenth, Israel has been killing Palestinians there practically every day, at least 251 so far.
They have also broken their agreement to allow in 600 trucks a day of critical supplies, allowing in at most 100. People are still starving to death there every day. over 500 people have starved to death there so far.
Israel clearly never had any intention of allowing a peace agreement to be successful, as I predicted. They only wish to proceed with the genocide that they've been engaging in since 1948, when they first became a state..
They have also broken their agreement to allow in 600 trucks a day of critical supplies, allowing in at most 100. People are still starving to death there every day. over 500 people have starved to death there so far.
Israel clearly never had any intention of allowing a peace agreement to be successful, as I predicted. They only wish to proceed with the genocide that they've been engaging in since 1948, when they first became a state..
On Zohran Mamdani's Win, And other Races
Posted 3 days agohttps://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....ory_speech_nyc
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....ion_mamdani_hq
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....c_klein_lander
This ended up being a huge wave of wins from the top of the ticket to the bottom across the country, and a huge repudiation of Trump and his policies.
However, Trump and the Reps were watching what happened around the country last night as well, and the lesson they're likely to take from it is that they need to double down on their shenanigans, and maybe even have to resort to much more dramatic measures. We need to remain vigilant and be ready to act.
I found myself being emotionally moved at many points while listening to the sheer joy exhibited by the people quoted here.
First off, I was excited to hear the cheer that went up when Mamdani mentioned the name of noted socialist hero Eugene V. Debs at the beginning of his speech. Many of these people knew who Debs was, before quoting him: "I can see the dawn of a better day for humanity."
His Speech
"The sun may have set over our city this evening, but, as Eugene Debs once said, I can see the dawn of a better day for humanity.
For as long as we can remember, the working people of New York have been told by the wealthy and the well-connected that power does not belong in their hands. Fingers bruised from lifting boxes on the warehouse floor, palms calloused from delivery bike handle bars, knuckles scarred with kitchen burns, these are not hands that have been allowed to hold power.
And yet, over the last 12 months, you have dared to reach for something greater. Tonight, against all odds, we have grasped it. The future is in our hands. My friends, we have toppled a political dynasty.
I wish Andrew Cuomo only the best in private life. But let tonight be the final time I utter his name, as we turn the page on a politics that abandons the many and answers only to the few.
New York, tonight you have delivered a mandate for change, a mandate for a new kind of politics, a mandate for a city we can afford and a mandate for a government that delivers exactly that.
On January 1st, I will be sworn in as the mayor of New York City. And that is because of you. So, before I say anything else, I must say this: thank you. Thank you to the next generation of New Yorkers who refuse to accept that the promise of a better future was a relic of the past. You showed that when politics speaks to you without condescension, we can usher in a new era of leadership. We will fight for you because we are you, or, as we say on Steinway, ana minkum wa alaikum.
Thank you to those so often forgotten by the politics of our city who made this movement their own. I speak of Yemeni bodega owners and Mexican abuelas, Senegalese taxi drivers and Uzbek nurses, Trinidadian line cooks and Ethiopian aunties — yes, aunties. To every New Yorker in Kensington and Midwood and Hunts Point, know this: This city is your city, and this democracy is yours, too.
This campaign is about people like Wesley, an 1199 organizer I met outside of Elmhurst Hospital on Thursday night, a New Yorker who lives elsewhere, who commutes two hours each way from Pennsylvania because rent is too expensive in this city. It’s about people like the woman I met on the Bx33 years ago, who said to me, “I used to love New York, but now it’s just where I live.” And it’s about people like Richard, the taxi driver I went on a 15-day hunger strike with outside of City Hall, who still has to drive his cab seven days a week. My brother, we are in City Hall now. …
Standing before you, I think of the words of Jawaharlal Nehru: “A moment comes, but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.” Tonight, we have stepped out from the old into the new.
So let us speak now with clarity and conviction that cannot be misunderstood about what this new age will deliver and for whom. This will be an age where New Yorkers expect from their leaders a bold vision of what we will achieve, rather than a list of excuses for what we are too timid to attempt.
Central to that vision will be the most ambitious agenda to tackle the cost-of-living crisis that this city has seen since the days of Fiorello La Guardia, an agenda that will freeze the rents for more than 2 million rent-stabilized tenants. …
Together, we will usher in a generation of change. And if we embrace this brave new course, rather than fleeing from it, we can respond to oligarchy and authoritarianism with the strength it fears, not the appeasement it craves. After all, if anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him. And if there is any way to terrify a despot, it is by dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power.
This is not only how we stop Trump, it’s how we stop the next one. So, Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up.
We will hold bad landlords to account, because the Donald Trumps of our city have grown far too comfortable taking advantage of their tenants. We will put an end to the culture of corruption that has allowed billionaires like Trump to evade taxation and exploit tax breaks. We will stand alongside unions and expand labor protections, because we know, just as Donald Trump does, that when working people have ironclad rights, the bosses who seek to extort them become very small indeed.
New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants and, as of tonight, led by an immigrant.
So, hear me, President Trump, when I say this: To get to any of us, you will have to get through all of us.
When we enter City Hall in 58 days, expectations will be high. We will meet them. A great New Yorker once said that while you campaign in poetry, you govern in prose. If that must be true, let the prose we write still rhyme, and let us build a shining city for all.
And we must chart a new path, as bold as the one we have already traveled. After all, the conventional wisdom would tell you that I am far from the perfect candidate. I am young, despite my best efforts to grow older. I am Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. And most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this."
Amy Goodman then went on to talk to various people in the audience at his victory celebration
AMY GOODMAN: As you can hear, they have just called it for Zohran Mamdani. And here we are in the Brooklyn Paramount. What’s your name? What are your thoughts?
BEN: My name is Ben. I couldn’t be more excited. I couldn’t be more excited.
AMY GOODMAN: What group are you with?
BEN: I’m an organizer with Jewish Voice for Peace. We’ve worked really hard for this moment. I’m so excited to celebrate with everybody.
AMY GOODMAN: Did you think you’d see this day?
BEN: I was confident. I was confident. Yeah, yeah. Thank you.
AMY GOODMAN: What do you say about Donald Trump saying today that any Jew who votes for Zohran Mamdani is stupid?
BEN: It’s antisemitic nonsense. I mean, it’s bigotry, plain and simple. And we’re sick of antisemitism being weaponized against Palestinian people and against our own communities, as well.
AMY GOODMAN: What do you want to see Zohran Mamdani do as mayor?
BEN: Making New York City a city for everybody, a city we can afford, a city where people can lead dignified lives.
NABILA: Hi. My name is Nabila. I’m a youth organizer at DRUM Beats.
AMY GOODMAN: It’s well known that while young people are very enthusiastic, they’re the least likely to vote.
NABILA: Yeah.
AMY GOODMAN: What’s your response to that?
NABILA: I think this just goes to show when we have a candidate that actually cares about the popular issues that affect everyone, and someone who’s charismatic and who doesn’t talk down to youth, you finally have a youth that’s ready to show the energy they’ve always had. It’s just that they’ve been marginalized all this time.
KEANU ARPELS-JOSIAH: Hi. My name is Keanu Arpels-Josiah. I’m with Sunrise Movement New York City.
AMY GOODMAN: So, what are your feelings right now?
KEANU ARPELS-JOSIAH: I’m joyful. This is the beginning of a new future for New York City, a future where we have a politics that works for our generation, for affordability, fights the climate crisis, fights the billionaire class taking over our government, stands up to fascism and stands up for our issues. This is a moment where all of politics is changing. New York City is changing. New York City is standing up and demanding a different future for our world, for our country and for our city. I couldn’t be more excited.
AMY GOODMAN: How will it change what you do?
KEANU ARPELS-JOSIAH: It means the same for us in some ways, and it means everything is different in other ways. It means collaboration. It means a politics of working with those in office to deliver the agenda, but it also means a politics of accountability. We need to be with Zohran celebrating today, and we need to be talking with him tomorrow to make his agenda a reality. We need to be standing alongside. We can’t just be yelling at each other. But we have to have collaboration and accountability. And it means we need to fight Governor Hochul, who’s trying to build fossil fuel pipelines through New York City, that Mamdani opposes. We need to fight to tax the rich. And we need to fight Washington as it attacks our communities.
SIMONE ZIMMERMAN: My name is Simone Zimmerman. I’m a part of the Jews for Zohran campaign. I’m a board member of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice Action. And I’m over the moon. I don’t know. This is it.
Trump called the Jews who voted for Zohran stupid. But look, we’re in a moment right now where we have an administration that is using racism and fear and is sowing terror in cities around the country. And Jews are not different from any other Americans. We see the hatred and the racism that they’re spreading, and we’re terrified of it. And despite the fact that millions of dollars were poured into this race to scare the living daylights out of Jewish voters, I think we’re going to see so many people see in Zohran a vision of safety and belonging in the city that they want to be part of, despite the fact that over and over again they were told, “You don’t belong. You don’t belong.” Zohran worked so hard to go to synagogues, to reach out to Jewish communities across the city, Jewish communities of such ideological and religious diversity, and say, “You belong here.” And I think people believe him, and I think that tonight we’re seeing that.
FAHD AHMED: My name is Fahd Ahmed, and I’m the director of DRUM Beats. This campaign was successful because it had a movement behind it, and it was successful because it spoke to the material needs of people.
AMY GOODMAN: This is a very strong message to the entire country. It’s not only Republicans who were organized against Mayor Mamdani. It’s the Democratic Party, as well. What are your thoughts on that?
FAHD AHMED: Yeah. You know, in our work, we talk about that the — it is the policies of the centrists, whether they’re Democrats or some of the old Republicans, that created the conditions that caused the rise of the right. When people’s needs aren’t being met, they need an alternative, and so far, only the far right was providing an alternative in the form of authoritarianism, in the form of fascism, in the form of hate, turning against immigrants, against queer people, against Muslims. And what this campaign and our movement was able to do was offer a left alternative.
JAMES DAVIS: I’m James Davis. I’m the president of the Professional Staff Congress-CUNY, the CUNY faculty and staff union.
AMY GOODMAN: You were among the first unions to endorse Zohran Mamdani.
JAMES DAVIS: We were. I mean, we’ve known Zohran since his time in the Assembly. So we knew that even though he was a long-shot candidate, he would have tremendous message discipline. And in a time like now, when there’s Trumpism from the federal government, we also knew that his message was going to resonate among working New Yorkers.
We see what President Trump has done with the budget bill as a massive transfer of wealth to the already wealthiest. So, part of our agenda is making sure that there’s additional progressive taxation, so that the public services, including the City University of New York, can be properly funded, so we can have not just an affordable education, but a high-quality education that our students deserve.
WALEED SHAHID: Waleed Shahid. I’m a political strategist. I’m South Asian. I’m Muslim. I think the campaign that Zohran started was based on the fact that so many Muslim Americans, South Asian Americans, Arab Americans felt left out of the Democratic Party because of the party’s support of Benjamin Netanyahu’s war crimes. And Zohran made an effort to include those people in the Democratic Party, in the Democratic primary process, in a way that so many politicians were unwilling to do. And I think you’re seeing the results of that tonight, is that not only was it Muslims and South Asians and Arabs, but young Jews, young people of all backgrounds, wanted to see a candidate who had conviction and courage, whether it was about opposing war and genocide or standing up to the real estate lobby in this city, that they want a candidate who is consistent. And I think Zohran represents that in many ways and is like the — represents the future of a lot of what American politics is going to look like.
SHAHANA HANIF: I’m Shahana Hanif, New York City councilmember representing the 39th District in Brooklyn, which includes Park Slope, Kensington. And I feel amazing.
AMY GOODMAN: So, how will the City Council operate differently now with Mayor Mamdani?
SHAHANA HANIF: Look, we’ll have a partner. We will have a partner who shares similar values and a progressive agenda, that has not been supported by Mayor Adams. You know, we had a mayor who consistently vetoed signature legislation that would transform New Yorkers’ lives. He vetoed ending solitary confinement in our city jails. He vetoed adding more accountability and transparency to our police force. He vetoed expanding vouchers for people who are in shelters, warehoused for years. This mayor, this new mayor, cares so deeply about the working people, the working-class people of New York City, and his agenda is more aligned with the current progressive — with the current progressive New York City Council.
AMY GOODMAN: The new mayor of New York City, the first Muslim mayor of New York. Your thoughts?
REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ: I mean, Zohran Mamdani, of course, a historic candidate, a tremendous moment for the people of New York. We showed that we’re not going to be bullied. We’re not going to be intimidated. We’re going to fight for working families. We’re going to stand with immigrants. We’re going to stand with the diversity of this city. And we’re also going to make sure that, first and foremost, that this is a city that working people will not be displaced out of.
AMY GOODMAN: What do you say to President Trump, who says he’ll withhold billions of dollars from New York, make it impossible for Zohran Mamdani to govern?
REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ: Well, you know, I think — I think that President Trump was born in New York City, and he knows that if you mess with New York, you mess with the whole country. And so, you know, I think this isn’t a city that doesn’t fight back.
AMY GOODMAN: That’s New York Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at Zohran Mamdani’s victory party. I also spoke with the Canadian journalist, author and activist and professor, Naomi Klein.
AMY GOODMAN: Start off by saying your name and your feelings right now.
NAOMI KLEIN: My name is Naomi Klein. And I’m levitating. This is such an incredible proof of concept of how to fight fascism. You know, Zohran, immediately after Trump’s election, went out and talked to Trump voters, people who had never voted for Trump before, Black and Brown people in working-class neighborhoods, didn’t vilify them, just listened to them.
I talked to Zohran for the first time a week after Trump’s election. And what he said to me was everything is broken for people. Like, the elevator in their public housing hasn’t been fixed for 10 months. Nothing is working. So it’s so easy for someone like Trump to come along and be like, “Blame the immigrant. Blame the unhoused person.” And his entire campaign was about proving that if you actually meet people’s real needs and raise the floor and say, “OK, let’s freeze the red. Let’s have free and fast buses. Let’s have universal child care. Let’s address that sense of scarcity and insecurity at its root,” that it can pull people back from the fascist abyss. And he won tonight. He proved that that is — that works. That message works.
This movement, this is anti-fascism, and it is also the antithesis of fascism, because fascists want everybody to be the same. They celebrate conformity, uniformity, sameness, hierarchy. Look in — New York is the most unruly city. The entire campaign was a love letter to the diversity, linguistic, faith, cultural diversity of the city, at a time when the Republicans never stop pouring hate onto cities and make people afraid of each other, right?
AMY GOODMAN: Naomi Klein, speaking last night at Zohran Mamdani’s victory party in Brooklyn. I also spoke to a New York official who also ran for mayor in the Democratic primary.
AMY GOODMAN: Can you identify yourself and your position and what you did with Zohran Mamdani?
BRAD LANDER: Yeah, I’m New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. You know, I was a candidate for mayor. I cross-endorsed with Zohran in the primary, as it was clear that he was the candidate with the best chance to win. We took Andrew Cuomo on together in the second mayoral debate in the primary.
AMY GOODMAN: The ranked-choice voting was so significant.
BRAD LANDER: Ranked-choice voting made a huge difference for us to build a slate of — a team of people committed to a more affordable and a more humane city, and who said he can’t be — Andrew Cuomo can’t be anywhere near City Hall. And then I worked really hard in the general election, obviously, you know, to have a Muslim New Yorker and a Jewish New Yorker say we are not going to allow Andrew Cuomo or Eric Adams or Donald Trump or Elon Musk or Stephen Miller to weaponize fear and pit us against each other. The only way that we’ll be safe is if we’re all safe.
AMY GOODMAN: And your response to President Trump saying any Jew who votes for Zohran is stupid?
BRAD LANDER: Well, what I did today was to quote Ethics of the Fathers, or Pirkei Avot, which says, you know, “Who is wise? He who learns from everyone. And who’s a fool? He who can’t learn a damn thing.” So, Donald Trump doesn’t get to tell us how to be Jewish. He sure can’t tell smart from stupid. And I’ll tell you this: Like, if he comes for New York City, it’s not going to be Donald Trump versus Zohran Mamdani. It’s going to be Donald Trump versus New York City. And I think when they write the history books, maybe they’ll say when Trump started to lose was when he came for New York after we elected Zohran. And just like we said good fucking riddance to Andrew Cuomo, we’ll do the same to Donald Trump.
AMY GOODMAN: So, you’re the city comptroller. You know what it means for President Trump to say he would pull billions from the city.
BRAD LANDER: Yeah, look, I mean, Elon Musk stole $80 million from New York in February, and Eric Adams couldn’t say a damn word about it. So, having a mayor who’s going to stand up and fight on our behalf, bring us together, organize us to help stand up, that’s how we win. That’s our money. It’s not Donald Trump’s money, however much he might think it is.
AMY GOODMAN: So, this is certainly a message to all of the United States, not only the Republican Party, but the Democratic Party, as well, which is clearly fighting back. I mean, the leader of the Democrats in the Senate, Senator Schumer, never even endorsed the Democratic candidate for mayor, Zohran Mamdani. What do you say to him? What do you say to the party?
BRAD LANDER: Well, yeah, but let’s be clear. In the last 24 hours, Donald Trump endorsed Andrew Cuomo. Stephen Miller endorsed Andrew Cuomo. Elon Musk endorsed Andrew Cuomo. So, Democrats who couldn’t stand up and say, “We’re with Zohran in a fight against that MAGA, you know, cabal,” like, we need a party that is broad. It’s got to include moderates. Of course it does. And when they win primaries in the right seats where they’re representing their constituents, then, of course, we’ll go support them. But when progressive candidates like Zohran win, then moderates have got to support them, as well. That’s the only way we can build a popular front that’s going to be sufficient to stand up to this authoritarian president.
AMY GOODMAN: That’s New York City Comptroller Brad Lander at Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral victory party at the Brooklyn Paramount.
The wholesale wins around the country for Dems across tickets from top to bottom serve as a repudiation of Trump. Even he had to admit that the shutdown and he himself were responsible for them.
The resounding win in California for prop 50 across the state will hopefully serve as an inspiration for other Democratic states such as New York, Illinois, Maryland and others moving forward.
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....ion_mamdani_hq
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....c_klein_lander
This ended up being a huge wave of wins from the top of the ticket to the bottom across the country, and a huge repudiation of Trump and his policies.
However, Trump and the Reps were watching what happened around the country last night as well, and the lesson they're likely to take from it is that they need to double down on their shenanigans, and maybe even have to resort to much more dramatic measures. We need to remain vigilant and be ready to act.
I found myself being emotionally moved at many points while listening to the sheer joy exhibited by the people quoted here.
First off, I was excited to hear the cheer that went up when Mamdani mentioned the name of noted socialist hero Eugene V. Debs at the beginning of his speech. Many of these people knew who Debs was, before quoting him: "I can see the dawn of a better day for humanity."
His Speech
"The sun may have set over our city this evening, but, as Eugene Debs once said, I can see the dawn of a better day for humanity.
For as long as we can remember, the working people of New York have been told by the wealthy and the well-connected that power does not belong in their hands. Fingers bruised from lifting boxes on the warehouse floor, palms calloused from delivery bike handle bars, knuckles scarred with kitchen burns, these are not hands that have been allowed to hold power.
And yet, over the last 12 months, you have dared to reach for something greater. Tonight, against all odds, we have grasped it. The future is in our hands. My friends, we have toppled a political dynasty.
I wish Andrew Cuomo only the best in private life. But let tonight be the final time I utter his name, as we turn the page on a politics that abandons the many and answers only to the few.
New York, tonight you have delivered a mandate for change, a mandate for a new kind of politics, a mandate for a city we can afford and a mandate for a government that delivers exactly that.
On January 1st, I will be sworn in as the mayor of New York City. And that is because of you. So, before I say anything else, I must say this: thank you. Thank you to the next generation of New Yorkers who refuse to accept that the promise of a better future was a relic of the past. You showed that when politics speaks to you without condescension, we can usher in a new era of leadership. We will fight for you because we are you, or, as we say on Steinway, ana minkum wa alaikum.
Thank you to those so often forgotten by the politics of our city who made this movement their own. I speak of Yemeni bodega owners and Mexican abuelas, Senegalese taxi drivers and Uzbek nurses, Trinidadian line cooks and Ethiopian aunties — yes, aunties. To every New Yorker in Kensington and Midwood and Hunts Point, know this: This city is your city, and this democracy is yours, too.
This campaign is about people like Wesley, an 1199 organizer I met outside of Elmhurst Hospital on Thursday night, a New Yorker who lives elsewhere, who commutes two hours each way from Pennsylvania because rent is too expensive in this city. It’s about people like the woman I met on the Bx33 years ago, who said to me, “I used to love New York, but now it’s just where I live.” And it’s about people like Richard, the taxi driver I went on a 15-day hunger strike with outside of City Hall, who still has to drive his cab seven days a week. My brother, we are in City Hall now. …
Standing before you, I think of the words of Jawaharlal Nehru: “A moment comes, but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.” Tonight, we have stepped out from the old into the new.
So let us speak now with clarity and conviction that cannot be misunderstood about what this new age will deliver and for whom. This will be an age where New Yorkers expect from their leaders a bold vision of what we will achieve, rather than a list of excuses for what we are too timid to attempt.
Central to that vision will be the most ambitious agenda to tackle the cost-of-living crisis that this city has seen since the days of Fiorello La Guardia, an agenda that will freeze the rents for more than 2 million rent-stabilized tenants. …
Together, we will usher in a generation of change. And if we embrace this brave new course, rather than fleeing from it, we can respond to oligarchy and authoritarianism with the strength it fears, not the appeasement it craves. After all, if anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him. And if there is any way to terrify a despot, it is by dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power.
This is not only how we stop Trump, it’s how we stop the next one. So, Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up.
We will hold bad landlords to account, because the Donald Trumps of our city have grown far too comfortable taking advantage of their tenants. We will put an end to the culture of corruption that has allowed billionaires like Trump to evade taxation and exploit tax breaks. We will stand alongside unions and expand labor protections, because we know, just as Donald Trump does, that when working people have ironclad rights, the bosses who seek to extort them become very small indeed.
New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants and, as of tonight, led by an immigrant.
So, hear me, President Trump, when I say this: To get to any of us, you will have to get through all of us.
When we enter City Hall in 58 days, expectations will be high. We will meet them. A great New Yorker once said that while you campaign in poetry, you govern in prose. If that must be true, let the prose we write still rhyme, and let us build a shining city for all.
And we must chart a new path, as bold as the one we have already traveled. After all, the conventional wisdom would tell you that I am far from the perfect candidate. I am young, despite my best efforts to grow older. I am Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. And most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this."
Amy Goodman then went on to talk to various people in the audience at his victory celebration
AMY GOODMAN: As you can hear, they have just called it for Zohran Mamdani. And here we are in the Brooklyn Paramount. What’s your name? What are your thoughts?
BEN: My name is Ben. I couldn’t be more excited. I couldn’t be more excited.
AMY GOODMAN: What group are you with?
BEN: I’m an organizer with Jewish Voice for Peace. We’ve worked really hard for this moment. I’m so excited to celebrate with everybody.
AMY GOODMAN: Did you think you’d see this day?
BEN: I was confident. I was confident. Yeah, yeah. Thank you.
AMY GOODMAN: What do you say about Donald Trump saying today that any Jew who votes for Zohran Mamdani is stupid?
BEN: It’s antisemitic nonsense. I mean, it’s bigotry, plain and simple. And we’re sick of antisemitism being weaponized against Palestinian people and against our own communities, as well.
AMY GOODMAN: What do you want to see Zohran Mamdani do as mayor?
BEN: Making New York City a city for everybody, a city we can afford, a city where people can lead dignified lives.
NABILA: Hi. My name is Nabila. I’m a youth organizer at DRUM Beats.
AMY GOODMAN: It’s well known that while young people are very enthusiastic, they’re the least likely to vote.
NABILA: Yeah.
AMY GOODMAN: What’s your response to that?
NABILA: I think this just goes to show when we have a candidate that actually cares about the popular issues that affect everyone, and someone who’s charismatic and who doesn’t talk down to youth, you finally have a youth that’s ready to show the energy they’ve always had. It’s just that they’ve been marginalized all this time.
KEANU ARPELS-JOSIAH: Hi. My name is Keanu Arpels-Josiah. I’m with Sunrise Movement New York City.
AMY GOODMAN: So, what are your feelings right now?
KEANU ARPELS-JOSIAH: I’m joyful. This is the beginning of a new future for New York City, a future where we have a politics that works for our generation, for affordability, fights the climate crisis, fights the billionaire class taking over our government, stands up to fascism and stands up for our issues. This is a moment where all of politics is changing. New York City is changing. New York City is standing up and demanding a different future for our world, for our country and for our city. I couldn’t be more excited.
AMY GOODMAN: How will it change what you do?
KEANU ARPELS-JOSIAH: It means the same for us in some ways, and it means everything is different in other ways. It means collaboration. It means a politics of working with those in office to deliver the agenda, but it also means a politics of accountability. We need to be with Zohran celebrating today, and we need to be talking with him tomorrow to make his agenda a reality. We need to be standing alongside. We can’t just be yelling at each other. But we have to have collaboration and accountability. And it means we need to fight Governor Hochul, who’s trying to build fossil fuel pipelines through New York City, that Mamdani opposes. We need to fight to tax the rich. And we need to fight Washington as it attacks our communities.
SIMONE ZIMMERMAN: My name is Simone Zimmerman. I’m a part of the Jews for Zohran campaign. I’m a board member of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice Action. And I’m over the moon. I don’t know. This is it.
Trump called the Jews who voted for Zohran stupid. But look, we’re in a moment right now where we have an administration that is using racism and fear and is sowing terror in cities around the country. And Jews are not different from any other Americans. We see the hatred and the racism that they’re spreading, and we’re terrified of it. And despite the fact that millions of dollars were poured into this race to scare the living daylights out of Jewish voters, I think we’re going to see so many people see in Zohran a vision of safety and belonging in the city that they want to be part of, despite the fact that over and over again they were told, “You don’t belong. You don’t belong.” Zohran worked so hard to go to synagogues, to reach out to Jewish communities across the city, Jewish communities of such ideological and religious diversity, and say, “You belong here.” And I think people believe him, and I think that tonight we’re seeing that.
FAHD AHMED: My name is Fahd Ahmed, and I’m the director of DRUM Beats. This campaign was successful because it had a movement behind it, and it was successful because it spoke to the material needs of people.
AMY GOODMAN: This is a very strong message to the entire country. It’s not only Republicans who were organized against Mayor Mamdani. It’s the Democratic Party, as well. What are your thoughts on that?
FAHD AHMED: Yeah. You know, in our work, we talk about that the — it is the policies of the centrists, whether they’re Democrats or some of the old Republicans, that created the conditions that caused the rise of the right. When people’s needs aren’t being met, they need an alternative, and so far, only the far right was providing an alternative in the form of authoritarianism, in the form of fascism, in the form of hate, turning against immigrants, against queer people, against Muslims. And what this campaign and our movement was able to do was offer a left alternative.
JAMES DAVIS: I’m James Davis. I’m the president of the Professional Staff Congress-CUNY, the CUNY faculty and staff union.
AMY GOODMAN: You were among the first unions to endorse Zohran Mamdani.
JAMES DAVIS: We were. I mean, we’ve known Zohran since his time in the Assembly. So we knew that even though he was a long-shot candidate, he would have tremendous message discipline. And in a time like now, when there’s Trumpism from the federal government, we also knew that his message was going to resonate among working New Yorkers.
We see what President Trump has done with the budget bill as a massive transfer of wealth to the already wealthiest. So, part of our agenda is making sure that there’s additional progressive taxation, so that the public services, including the City University of New York, can be properly funded, so we can have not just an affordable education, but a high-quality education that our students deserve.
WALEED SHAHID: Waleed Shahid. I’m a political strategist. I’m South Asian. I’m Muslim. I think the campaign that Zohran started was based on the fact that so many Muslim Americans, South Asian Americans, Arab Americans felt left out of the Democratic Party because of the party’s support of Benjamin Netanyahu’s war crimes. And Zohran made an effort to include those people in the Democratic Party, in the Democratic primary process, in a way that so many politicians were unwilling to do. And I think you’re seeing the results of that tonight, is that not only was it Muslims and South Asians and Arabs, but young Jews, young people of all backgrounds, wanted to see a candidate who had conviction and courage, whether it was about opposing war and genocide or standing up to the real estate lobby in this city, that they want a candidate who is consistent. And I think Zohran represents that in many ways and is like the — represents the future of a lot of what American politics is going to look like.
SHAHANA HANIF: I’m Shahana Hanif, New York City councilmember representing the 39th District in Brooklyn, which includes Park Slope, Kensington. And I feel amazing.
AMY GOODMAN: So, how will the City Council operate differently now with Mayor Mamdani?
SHAHANA HANIF: Look, we’ll have a partner. We will have a partner who shares similar values and a progressive agenda, that has not been supported by Mayor Adams. You know, we had a mayor who consistently vetoed signature legislation that would transform New Yorkers’ lives. He vetoed ending solitary confinement in our city jails. He vetoed adding more accountability and transparency to our police force. He vetoed expanding vouchers for people who are in shelters, warehoused for years. This mayor, this new mayor, cares so deeply about the working people, the working-class people of New York City, and his agenda is more aligned with the current progressive — with the current progressive New York City Council.
AMY GOODMAN: The new mayor of New York City, the first Muslim mayor of New York. Your thoughts?
REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ: I mean, Zohran Mamdani, of course, a historic candidate, a tremendous moment for the people of New York. We showed that we’re not going to be bullied. We’re not going to be intimidated. We’re going to fight for working families. We’re going to stand with immigrants. We’re going to stand with the diversity of this city. And we’re also going to make sure that, first and foremost, that this is a city that working people will not be displaced out of.
AMY GOODMAN: What do you say to President Trump, who says he’ll withhold billions of dollars from New York, make it impossible for Zohran Mamdani to govern?
REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ: Well, you know, I think — I think that President Trump was born in New York City, and he knows that if you mess with New York, you mess with the whole country. And so, you know, I think this isn’t a city that doesn’t fight back.
AMY GOODMAN: That’s New York Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at Zohran Mamdani’s victory party. I also spoke with the Canadian journalist, author and activist and professor, Naomi Klein.
AMY GOODMAN: Start off by saying your name and your feelings right now.
NAOMI KLEIN: My name is Naomi Klein. And I’m levitating. This is such an incredible proof of concept of how to fight fascism. You know, Zohran, immediately after Trump’s election, went out and talked to Trump voters, people who had never voted for Trump before, Black and Brown people in working-class neighborhoods, didn’t vilify them, just listened to them.
I talked to Zohran for the first time a week after Trump’s election. And what he said to me was everything is broken for people. Like, the elevator in their public housing hasn’t been fixed for 10 months. Nothing is working. So it’s so easy for someone like Trump to come along and be like, “Blame the immigrant. Blame the unhoused person.” And his entire campaign was about proving that if you actually meet people’s real needs and raise the floor and say, “OK, let’s freeze the red. Let’s have free and fast buses. Let’s have universal child care. Let’s address that sense of scarcity and insecurity at its root,” that it can pull people back from the fascist abyss. And he won tonight. He proved that that is — that works. That message works.
This movement, this is anti-fascism, and it is also the antithesis of fascism, because fascists want everybody to be the same. They celebrate conformity, uniformity, sameness, hierarchy. Look in — New York is the most unruly city. The entire campaign was a love letter to the diversity, linguistic, faith, cultural diversity of the city, at a time when the Republicans never stop pouring hate onto cities and make people afraid of each other, right?
AMY GOODMAN: Naomi Klein, speaking last night at Zohran Mamdani’s victory party in Brooklyn. I also spoke to a New York official who also ran for mayor in the Democratic primary.
AMY GOODMAN: Can you identify yourself and your position and what you did with Zohran Mamdani?
BRAD LANDER: Yeah, I’m New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. You know, I was a candidate for mayor. I cross-endorsed with Zohran in the primary, as it was clear that he was the candidate with the best chance to win. We took Andrew Cuomo on together in the second mayoral debate in the primary.
AMY GOODMAN: The ranked-choice voting was so significant.
BRAD LANDER: Ranked-choice voting made a huge difference for us to build a slate of — a team of people committed to a more affordable and a more humane city, and who said he can’t be — Andrew Cuomo can’t be anywhere near City Hall. And then I worked really hard in the general election, obviously, you know, to have a Muslim New Yorker and a Jewish New Yorker say we are not going to allow Andrew Cuomo or Eric Adams or Donald Trump or Elon Musk or Stephen Miller to weaponize fear and pit us against each other. The only way that we’ll be safe is if we’re all safe.
AMY GOODMAN: And your response to President Trump saying any Jew who votes for Zohran is stupid?
BRAD LANDER: Well, what I did today was to quote Ethics of the Fathers, or Pirkei Avot, which says, you know, “Who is wise? He who learns from everyone. And who’s a fool? He who can’t learn a damn thing.” So, Donald Trump doesn’t get to tell us how to be Jewish. He sure can’t tell smart from stupid. And I’ll tell you this: Like, if he comes for New York City, it’s not going to be Donald Trump versus Zohran Mamdani. It’s going to be Donald Trump versus New York City. And I think when they write the history books, maybe they’ll say when Trump started to lose was when he came for New York after we elected Zohran. And just like we said good fucking riddance to Andrew Cuomo, we’ll do the same to Donald Trump.
AMY GOODMAN: So, you’re the city comptroller. You know what it means for President Trump to say he would pull billions from the city.
BRAD LANDER: Yeah, look, I mean, Elon Musk stole $80 million from New York in February, and Eric Adams couldn’t say a damn word about it. So, having a mayor who’s going to stand up and fight on our behalf, bring us together, organize us to help stand up, that’s how we win. That’s our money. It’s not Donald Trump’s money, however much he might think it is.
AMY GOODMAN: So, this is certainly a message to all of the United States, not only the Republican Party, but the Democratic Party, as well, which is clearly fighting back. I mean, the leader of the Democrats in the Senate, Senator Schumer, never even endorsed the Democratic candidate for mayor, Zohran Mamdani. What do you say to him? What do you say to the party?
BRAD LANDER: Well, yeah, but let’s be clear. In the last 24 hours, Donald Trump endorsed Andrew Cuomo. Stephen Miller endorsed Andrew Cuomo. Elon Musk endorsed Andrew Cuomo. So, Democrats who couldn’t stand up and say, “We’re with Zohran in a fight against that MAGA, you know, cabal,” like, we need a party that is broad. It’s got to include moderates. Of course it does. And when they win primaries in the right seats where they’re representing their constituents, then, of course, we’ll go support them. But when progressive candidates like Zohran win, then moderates have got to support them, as well. That’s the only way we can build a popular front that’s going to be sufficient to stand up to this authoritarian president.
AMY GOODMAN: That’s New York City Comptroller Brad Lander at Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral victory party at the Brooklyn Paramount.
The wholesale wins around the country for Dems across tickets from top to bottom serve as a repudiation of Trump. Even he had to admit that the shutdown and he himself were responsible for them.
The resounding win in California for prop 50 across the state will hopefully serve as an inspiration for other Democratic states such as New York, Illinois, Maryland and others moving forward.
On The Impending Wins Of Mamdani and Prop 50
Posted 4 days agohttps://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....4/election_day
By now the polls are closed in New York, and Mamdani has won. California's prop 50 is guaranteed to pass.
Thank the Gods for small victories!
Amy is talking here with John Nichols, one of my favorite talking heads. He's always spot on with his political and economic analysis.
Elon Musk is urging voters to vote for Cuomo, writing on Xitter “Bear in mind that a vote for Curtis is really a vote for Mumdumi or whatever his name is,” clearly intentionally mocking Mamdani’s name. President Trump is also throwing his support behind Cuomo and is calling him a "Commie", but hell, he even calls liberals commies and Marxists. He has threatened to restrict federal funds for New York City if Mamdani wins.
Trump also Said "Any Jew who votes for Mamdani is stupid", which only proves his antisemitism. Stephen Miller came out in opposition to him. Of course Zionist Chuck Schumer opposed him because of his clearly voiced support for Palestinians. All of this opposition became feathers in Mamdani's cap.
I also heard an interview with Andrew Cuomo said that crime would go up under Mamdani because of his opposition to the current policing system in NYC. As if. The police are in opposition to him and far too strong for that.
Mamdani clearly gained credibility and votes by directly opposing Trump and these people.
In response, Mamdani said
"But I want to take a moment to speak about who is on the ballot tonight. Donald Trump just put out a statement encouraging New Yorkers, saying they must vote for Andrew Cuomo. We know, and have known for months, that Donald Trump would favor Andrew Cuomo as the mayor. They share the same donors. They share the same small vision. They share the same sense of impunity. And yet, in these final days, what was rumored, what was feared, has become naked and unabashed. The MAGA movement’s embrace of Andrew Cuomo is reflective of Donald Trump’s understanding that this would be the best mayor for him, not — not the best mayor for New York City, not the best mayor for New Yorkers, but the best mayor for Donald Trump and his administration."
I wish Mamdani all the luck in the world with his plans. We'll see how it goes. There WILL be resistance from the billionaire class.
As far as prop 50 in California, that's meant to counter the Trump ordered gerrymandering in Texas, But that's hardly the only state being gerrymandered, and hardly the only threat that the Republicans are making to a fair vote. One major one is an impending Supreme Court decision which could mean the return of Jim Crow era voting in the entire South.
By now the polls are closed in New York, and Mamdani has won. California's prop 50 is guaranteed to pass.
Thank the Gods for small victories!
Amy is talking here with John Nichols, one of my favorite talking heads. He's always spot on with his political and economic analysis.
Elon Musk is urging voters to vote for Cuomo, writing on Xitter “Bear in mind that a vote for Curtis is really a vote for Mumdumi or whatever his name is,” clearly intentionally mocking Mamdani’s name. President Trump is also throwing his support behind Cuomo and is calling him a "Commie", but hell, he even calls liberals commies and Marxists. He has threatened to restrict federal funds for New York City if Mamdani wins.
Trump also Said "Any Jew who votes for Mamdani is stupid", which only proves his antisemitism. Stephen Miller came out in opposition to him. Of course Zionist Chuck Schumer opposed him because of his clearly voiced support for Palestinians. All of this opposition became feathers in Mamdani's cap.
I also heard an interview with Andrew Cuomo said that crime would go up under Mamdani because of his opposition to the current policing system in NYC. As if. The police are in opposition to him and far too strong for that.
Mamdani clearly gained credibility and votes by directly opposing Trump and these people.
In response, Mamdani said
"But I want to take a moment to speak about who is on the ballot tonight. Donald Trump just put out a statement encouraging New Yorkers, saying they must vote for Andrew Cuomo. We know, and have known for months, that Donald Trump would favor Andrew Cuomo as the mayor. They share the same donors. They share the same small vision. They share the same sense of impunity. And yet, in these final days, what was rumored, what was feared, has become naked and unabashed. The MAGA movement’s embrace of Andrew Cuomo is reflective of Donald Trump’s understanding that this would be the best mayor for him, not — not the best mayor for New York City, not the best mayor for New Yorkers, but the best mayor for Donald Trump and his administration."
I wish Mamdani all the luck in the world with his plans. We'll see how it goes. There WILL be resistance from the billionaire class.
As far as prop 50 in California, that's meant to counter the Trump ordered gerrymandering in Texas, But that's hardly the only state being gerrymandered, and hardly the only threat that the Republicans are making to a fair vote. One major one is an impending Supreme Court decision which could mean the return of Jim Crow era voting in the entire South.
Trump Threatens War On Nigeria
Posted 5 days agohttps://www.democracynow.org/2025/1....._trump_nigeria
In an effort to cater to his evangelical Christian and Christian nationalist base, Trump has recently said
“The U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, 'guns-a-blazing'…If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!” he wrote. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded to the post, writing, quote, “Yes sir,”
He also said
"They’re killing record numbers of Christians in Nigeria. And they have other countries very bad also. You know that. That part of the world, very bad. They’re killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers. We’re not going to allow that to happen."
This is an absolute lie. In actuality Boko Haram has killed more Muslims in Nigeria than Christians.
What Boko Haram actually wants is control of land, regardless of who happens to be on it.
This only goes to show how little regard that Trump holds for Muslims and these "Shithole countries". The president of Nigeria is also a Muslim, who also happens to have a Christian wife.
And this is all happening while Trump hzs cut the number of refugees to be admitted to ther US next year from 125,000 to 7500, most of whom will be supposedly persecuted white South African Christians.
It's also worthy of note that similar to the way that Venezuela has the largest oilfields on the planet, Nigeria has the largest oilfield in Africa.
In an effort to cater to his evangelical Christian and Christian nationalist base, Trump has recently said
“The U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, 'guns-a-blazing'…If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!” he wrote. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded to the post, writing, quote, “Yes sir,”
He also said
"They’re killing record numbers of Christians in Nigeria. And they have other countries very bad also. You know that. That part of the world, very bad. They’re killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers. We’re not going to allow that to happen."
This is an absolute lie. In actuality Boko Haram has killed more Muslims in Nigeria than Christians.
What Boko Haram actually wants is control of land, regardless of who happens to be on it.
This only goes to show how little regard that Trump holds for Muslims and these "Shithole countries". The president of Nigeria is also a Muslim, who also happens to have a Christian wife.
And this is all happening while Trump hzs cut the number of refugees to be admitted to ther US next year from 125,000 to 7500, most of whom will be supposedly persecuted white South African Christians.
It's also worthy of note that similar to the way that Venezuela has the largest oilfields on the planet, Nigeria has the largest oilfield in Africa.
The Trump Shutdown Of SNAP
Posted a week agoTrump shut down the Supplemental Nuritional Assistance Program. (FKA food stamps) for the first time in the program's sixty year history, with the goal of pushing Democrats into signing on to a continuing resolution whihch would postpone the budget resolution for around another month. Federal Judges in Rhode Is;and and Massachusetts recently ruled that the government couldn't do this, and had to make use of a $4 billion dollar reserve fund which is avaiable and which would fund at least part of the necessary funds for a month.
42 million Americans depend on SNAP to feed themselves.
There are also other sources that Trump could tap into to fund SNAP if he so wished.
Since this Judgment Trump has said that he'd gladly fund SNAP. So why didn't he do so previously?
All of this, coincidentally, happens while he's finding money to fund paying servicemen's salaries, blowing up fishermen and people commuting to Trinidad and Tobago for work extrajudicially to the tune of over $20 million dollars a day and $150,000 a pop for hellfire missiles, throwing a lavish halloween party for his friends and patrons at Mar-a-Lago,and buying gold fixtures for his bathroom at the Oval Office in the White House.
This Party of his was Great Gatsby themed, and rather ironically titled "A little party never hurt anybody". Another real "Let them eat cake" moment.
So apparently SNAP will be temporarily funded, at least partially, for a while. Just when this funding will start is still an open question.
In the meantime many state and local groups and politicians have found funds to assist food banks, but they won't be remunerated for those by the government when it opens back up.
Update of 11/3:
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....ood_assistance
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....3/great_gatsby
-This segment goes into Trump's Great Gatsby themed party, which was held just hours before the cutoff of funding for SNAP, and the true meaning behind The Great Gatsby which actually critiques conspicuous consumption.
42 million Americans depend on SNAP to feed themselves.
There are also other sources that Trump could tap into to fund SNAP if he so wished.
Since this Judgment Trump has said that he'd gladly fund SNAP. So why didn't he do so previously?
All of this, coincidentally, happens while he's finding money to fund paying servicemen's salaries, blowing up fishermen and people commuting to Trinidad and Tobago for work extrajudicially to the tune of over $20 million dollars a day and $150,000 a pop for hellfire missiles, throwing a lavish halloween party for his friends and patrons at Mar-a-Lago,and buying gold fixtures for his bathroom at the Oval Office in the White House.
This Party of his was Great Gatsby themed, and rather ironically titled "A little party never hurt anybody". Another real "Let them eat cake" moment.
So apparently SNAP will be temporarily funded, at least partially, for a while. Just when this funding will start is still an open question.
In the meantime many state and local groups and politicians have found funds to assist food banks, but they won't be remunerated for those by the government when it opens back up.
Update of 11/3:
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....ood_assistance
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....3/great_gatsby
-This segment goes into Trump's Great Gatsby themed party, which was held just hours before the cutoff of funding for SNAP, and the true meaning behind The Great Gatsby which actually critiques conspicuous consumption.
Pentagon To Plan National Guard Quick Reaction Forces
Posted a week agohttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news.....eaction-forces
This was hinted at a few months ago, but their plans have been more fleshed out now.
"Pentagon memo details plan to train over 20,000 national guard members across the US to carry out Trump’s order on subduing civil unrest
A top US military official has ordered the national guards of all 50 US states, the District of Columbia and US territories to form “quick reaction forces” trained in “riot control”, including use of batons, body shields, Tasers and pepper spray, according to an internal Pentagon directive reviewed by the Guardian.
The memo, signed on October 8th by Maj Gen Ronald Burkett, the director of operations for the Pentagon’s national guard bureau, sets thresholds for the size of the quick reaction force to be trained in each state, with most states required to train 500 national guard members, for a total of 23,500 troops nationwide.
a document from the national guard bureau.
Burkett cited Donald Trump’s August executive order that deployed the guard to fight crime in Washington DC. The same order required the secretary of defense to create “a standing National Guard quick reaction force … available for rapid nationwide deployment” in “quelling civil disturbances”.
Trump clearly wants the ability to shut down any protest, and an excuse for further oppressive action and to declare a state of emergency and an insurrection. .
This is yet another action from Trump straight out of the fascist playbook.
This was hinted at a few months ago, but their plans have been more fleshed out now.
"Pentagon memo details plan to train over 20,000 national guard members across the US to carry out Trump’s order on subduing civil unrest
A top US military official has ordered the national guards of all 50 US states, the District of Columbia and US territories to form “quick reaction forces” trained in “riot control”, including use of batons, body shields, Tasers and pepper spray, according to an internal Pentagon directive reviewed by the Guardian.
The memo, signed on October 8th by Maj Gen Ronald Burkett, the director of operations for the Pentagon’s national guard bureau, sets thresholds for the size of the quick reaction force to be trained in each state, with most states required to train 500 national guard members, for a total of 23,500 troops nationwide.
a document from the national guard bureau.
Burkett cited Donald Trump’s August executive order that deployed the guard to fight crime in Washington DC. The same order required the secretary of defense to create “a standing National Guard quick reaction force … available for rapid nationwide deployment” in “quelling civil disturbances”.
Trump clearly wants the ability to shut down any protest, and an excuse for further oppressive action and to declare a state of emergency and an insurrection. .
This is yet another action from Trump straight out of the fascist playbook.
Stacey Abrams On The Ten Steps To Autocracy
Posted a week ago1) Use a free and fair election to gain power, then ensure it’s the last one. A leader wins through a democratic process, but has no intention of relinquishing power.
2) Exceed executive power. The leader issues a flurry of executive orders that claim authority far beyond constitutional limits.
3) Weaken competing powers. This step involves undermining or ignoring the legislative and judicial branches, either by making them complicit or irrelevant.
4) Gut the government. The leader dismantles agencies, fires experts, and removes those with opposing views, breaking public trust in institutions.
5) Install loyalists. Positions across the government are filled with individuals whose primary allegiance is to the leader, not the public or the Constitution.
6) Go after the media. The leader demonizes and discredits legitimate journalism to erode public trust in truth, replacing it with propaganda.
7) Create scapegoats. The regime targets certain marginalized groups, such as women, people of color, immigrants, or the disabled, to turn people against each other.
8) Target civil society. Organizations that defend rights, like non-profits and universities, are attacked to stifle dissent.
9) Incentivize private violence. The leader encourages violence, or uses militarized federal agents against citizens, to intimidate opponents.
10) Achieve the endgame. The authoritarian consolidates power, and civic participation, such as voting, is made to feel pointless, unsafe, or simply ceases.
She's spot on.
2) Exceed executive power. The leader issues a flurry of executive orders that claim authority far beyond constitutional limits.
3) Weaken competing powers. This step involves undermining or ignoring the legislative and judicial branches, either by making them complicit or irrelevant.
4) Gut the government. The leader dismantles agencies, fires experts, and removes those with opposing views, breaking public trust in institutions.
5) Install loyalists. Positions across the government are filled with individuals whose primary allegiance is to the leader, not the public or the Constitution.
6) Go after the media. The leader demonizes and discredits legitimate journalism to erode public trust in truth, replacing it with propaganda.
7) Create scapegoats. The regime targets certain marginalized groups, such as women, people of color, immigrants, or the disabled, to turn people against each other.
8) Target civil society. Organizations that defend rights, like non-profits and universities, are attacked to stifle dissent.
9) Incentivize private violence. The leader encourages violence, or uses militarized federal agents against citizens, to intimidate opponents.
10) Achieve the endgame. The authoritarian consolidates power, and civic participation, such as voting, is made to feel pointless, unsafe, or simply ceases.
She's spot on.
Body Parts
Posted a week agoYesterday Hamas returned some body parts to Israel. After DNA testing, it turned out that they belonged to a body which was previously returned.
Feigning outrage, Israel immediately seized on this and said that it was an egregious violation of the cease fire agreement. Any excuse will obviously do.
Never mind that there's no access to DNA testing in Gaza.
I suppose that Israel would prefer not to get these back?
One also has to wonder how this body may have ended up in pieces to start with. An Israeli bombing, perhaps?
Feigning outrage, Israel immediately seized on this and said that it was an egregious violation of the cease fire agreement. Any excuse will obviously do.
Never mind that there's no access to DNA testing in Gaza.
I suppose that Israel would prefer not to get these back?
One also has to wonder how this body may have ended up in pieces to start with. An Israeli bombing, perhaps?
Proud Islamophobe Laura Loomer Strikes Again
Posted a week agowww.democracynow.org/2025/10/27/headlines/us_detains_prominent_british_muslim_journalist_sami_hamdi
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c867gdjl1n1o
"U.S. immigration authorities detained the prominent British Muslim journalist and commentator Sami Hamdi on Sunday at San Francisco International Airport. Hamdi was detained hours after he spoke in Sacramento at a gala for CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations. In a statement, CAIR said, “Abducting a prominent British Muslim journalist and political commentator on a speaking tour in the United States because he dared to criticize the Israeli government’s genocide is a blatant affront to free speech.” The far-right activist Laura Loomer, who has described herself as a “proud Islamophobe,” took credit for his detention, saying she had pressured the Trump administration to revoke his visa."
Hamdi has also previously advised the US State Department.
The State Department and DHS allege that Hamdi supports terrorism and poses a threat to national security.
"We've said it before, we'll say it again: The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who support terrorism and actively undermine the safety of Americans,"
Saying that he supports terrorism is plainly ridiculous. But of course anyone who criticizes Israel supports Hamas, and is therefore a terrorist. And once again, so much for free speech.
CAIR wrote in a statement
"Our nation must stop abducting critics of the Israeli government at the behest of unhinged Israel First bigots. This is an Israel First policy, not an America First policy, and it must end,"
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c867gdjl1n1o
"U.S. immigration authorities detained the prominent British Muslim journalist and commentator Sami Hamdi on Sunday at San Francisco International Airport. Hamdi was detained hours after he spoke in Sacramento at a gala for CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations. In a statement, CAIR said, “Abducting a prominent British Muslim journalist and political commentator on a speaking tour in the United States because he dared to criticize the Israeli government’s genocide is a blatant affront to free speech.” The far-right activist Laura Loomer, who has described herself as a “proud Islamophobe,” took credit for his detention, saying she had pressured the Trump administration to revoke his visa."
Hamdi has also previously advised the US State Department.
The State Department and DHS allege that Hamdi supports terrorism and poses a threat to national security.
"We've said it before, we'll say it again: The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who support terrorism and actively undermine the safety of Americans,"
Saying that he supports terrorism is plainly ridiculous. But of course anyone who criticizes Israel supports Hamas, and is therefore a terrorist. And once again, so much for free speech.
CAIR wrote in a statement
"Our nation must stop abducting critics of the Israeli government at the behest of unhinged Israel First bigots. This is an Israel First policy, not an America First policy, and it must end,"
Israel Allows Excavators And Egyptian Team Into Gaza
Posted a week agohttps://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2l0mjkjkvo
Israel has finally allowed excavators and other necessary heavy equipment and engineers as well as the Red Cross into Gaza from Egypt to assist with retrieving the rest of the dead hostages buried under rubble and in the yellow zone, which Hamas has long said was necessary. They include people experienced with handling unexploded ordnance and booby traps.
Israel is now using this as an excuse to stall on moving on with the "Peace agreement" until all of the bodies are returned, which they're fully aware may never happen amid the wholesale chaos and destruction that they've left in Gaza. Even the Mossad has said that some of these bodies may never be found.
It's not known if Israel will allow this equipment and these people to remain in Gaza to help with recovering the unknown number of bodies buried under the rubble, which is surely in the tens of thousands.
Trump said "What kind of sick and twisted people hold dead bodies?" Well, in their typical "Every accusation is a confession" form, that would describe Israel.
Israel is holding over 2000 bodies of Palestinians in freezers, all tagged with numbers. In the recent batch of dead Palestinian Hostages Israel returned to Gaza, some showed signs of being run over by tanks, and some were bound hand and foot with zip ties, showed signs of torture, Had rope marks around their necks and were blindfolded, and had been shot in the head at point blank range. Israel has bodies that they've been holding since as far back as 1980.
Another issue is that Gaza has no access to DNA testing, and were forced to bury the unidentified among the recently returned bodies in a mass grave.
Israel has finally allowed excavators and other necessary heavy equipment and engineers as well as the Red Cross into Gaza from Egypt to assist with retrieving the rest of the dead hostages buried under rubble and in the yellow zone, which Hamas has long said was necessary. They include people experienced with handling unexploded ordnance and booby traps.
Israel is now using this as an excuse to stall on moving on with the "Peace agreement" until all of the bodies are returned, which they're fully aware may never happen amid the wholesale chaos and destruction that they've left in Gaza. Even the Mossad has said that some of these bodies may never be found.
It's not known if Israel will allow this equipment and these people to remain in Gaza to help with recovering the unknown number of bodies buried under the rubble, which is surely in the tens of thousands.
Trump said "What kind of sick and twisted people hold dead bodies?" Well, in their typical "Every accusation is a confession" form, that would describe Israel.
Israel is holding over 2000 bodies of Palestinians in freezers, all tagged with numbers. In the recent batch of dead Palestinian Hostages Israel returned to Gaza, some showed signs of being run over by tanks, and some were bound hand and foot with zip ties, showed signs of torture, Had rope marks around their necks and were blindfolded, and had been shot in the head at point blank range. Israel has bodies that they've been holding since as far back as 1980.
Another issue is that Gaza has no access to DNA testing, and were forced to bury the unidentified among the recently returned bodies in a mass grave.
Some More Recent Headlines
Posted 2 weeks agohttps://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....of_ceo_friends
-This all started when Marc Beniof, CEO of Sales Force, said that he'd welcome Trump sending the National Guard to SF, and then Elon, who lives in Texas now, chimed in, and of course agreed. As word of beniof saying this spread, he then walked it back.
Trump then said that the next place he'd be invading would be SF, and that he'd been invited. SF mayor Daniel Lurie, heir to the Levi Strauss fortune, then said without mentioning Trump's name, that they would not be welcome. Lurie DID say he'd welcome Trump to send the FBI, DEA, ATF, etc. to "Help" with the drug problem in the Tenderloin. However, this is not an issue that we can arrest our way out of.
Trump then sent 100 CBP officers to the Coast guard base at Coast Guard island in Alameda, next to Oakland. They were met by protesters. When the CBP showed up in the early morning hours and found their way blocked by protesters, they or the Coast Guard used flashbangs, and one person was shot from about six feet away directly in the face with a pepperball.
Then Trump said that he'd recall them, and not send them to SF. Lurie took credit for talking him out of this, but it turned out that Trump actually made this decision after talking to Beniof and Jensen Huang, the CEO of NVidea.
It's still not clear if CBP has actually left the area, or might instead end up being deployed to Oakland.
In any case, The Bay Area is ready, and nobody here trusts Trump. He could just as well change his mind tomorrow. Efforts to spread information about people's rights and local rapid response networks have been stepped up. We've been and are prepared for whatever Trump brings to us.
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....cizing_tariffs
-This is how thin skinned and petty this idiot is. Since this he's added another ten percent tariff to Canada, because he believes in using tariffs for personal vendettas.
www.democracynow.org/2025/10/24/hea.....mp_familys_crypto_firm
-Of course, Donnie. You pardoned this guy I'm SURE you've never even heard of before.
-This all started when Marc Beniof, CEO of Sales Force, said that he'd welcome Trump sending the National Guard to SF, and then Elon, who lives in Texas now, chimed in, and of course agreed. As word of beniof saying this spread, he then walked it back.
Trump then said that the next place he'd be invading would be SF, and that he'd been invited. SF mayor Daniel Lurie, heir to the Levi Strauss fortune, then said without mentioning Trump's name, that they would not be welcome. Lurie DID say he'd welcome Trump to send the FBI, DEA, ATF, etc. to "Help" with the drug problem in the Tenderloin. However, this is not an issue that we can arrest our way out of.
Trump then sent 100 CBP officers to the Coast guard base at Coast Guard island in Alameda, next to Oakland. They were met by protesters. When the CBP showed up in the early morning hours and found their way blocked by protesters, they or the Coast Guard used flashbangs, and one person was shot from about six feet away directly in the face with a pepperball.
Then Trump said that he'd recall them, and not send them to SF. Lurie took credit for talking him out of this, but it turned out that Trump actually made this decision after talking to Beniof and Jensen Huang, the CEO of NVidea.
It's still not clear if CBP has actually left the area, or might instead end up being deployed to Oakland.
In any case, The Bay Area is ready, and nobody here trusts Trump. He could just as well change his mind tomorrow. Efforts to spread information about people's rights and local rapid response networks have been stepped up. We've been and are prepared for whatever Trump brings to us.
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....cizing_tariffs
-This is how thin skinned and petty this idiot is. Since this he's added another ten percent tariff to Canada, because he believes in using tariffs for personal vendettas.
www.democracynow.org/2025/10/24/hea.....mp_familys_crypto_firm
-Of course, Donnie. You pardoned this guy I'm SURE you've never even heard of before.
Meet Your New Pentagon Press Corps
Posted 2 weeks agoIn the wake of every even semi-reputable news source in the country, even including Faux and Newsmax, turning in their Pentagon press passes rather than submit to have everything they publish pre-approved by Hegseth's Pentagon, which would reduce them to just being stenographers for the government, there's now a new crop of approved right and far right bootlicking media.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news.....on-press-corps
https://www.npr.org/2025/10/23/nx-s.....-wing-makeover
These include One America News Network, the only one previously admitted not to pull out, Tim Pool, a podcaster famous for taking money from Russia to publish their propaganda, Gateway Pundit, Lindell TV, founded by the MyPillow guy Mike Lindell, (Both Lindell and Gateway Pundit were successfully sued for defamation after spreading lies and conspiracy theories about Trump winning the 2020 race), The Federalist, Just the News, the Post Millennial, Human Events, The National Pulse, Human Events, the National Pulse, and a Substack-based newsletter called Washington Reporter.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell described the group as a “broad spectrum of new media outlets and independent journalists”.
“New media outlets and independent journalists have created the formula to circumvent the lies of the mainstream media and get real news directly to the American people,” Parnell wrote. “Their reach and impact collectively are far more effective and balanced than the self-righteous media who chose to self-deport from the Pentagon.”
-Right, Sean.
So we're now assured of getting only far right approved lies and pablum out of the Pentagon, and more reliable news outlets will now have to rely on other sources for the truth.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news.....on-press-corps
https://www.npr.org/2025/10/23/nx-s.....-wing-makeover
These include One America News Network, the only one previously admitted not to pull out, Tim Pool, a podcaster famous for taking money from Russia to publish their propaganda, Gateway Pundit, Lindell TV, founded by the MyPillow guy Mike Lindell, (Both Lindell and Gateway Pundit were successfully sued for defamation after spreading lies and conspiracy theories about Trump winning the 2020 race), The Federalist, Just the News, the Post Millennial, Human Events, The National Pulse, Human Events, the National Pulse, and a Substack-based newsletter called Washington Reporter.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell described the group as a “broad spectrum of new media outlets and independent journalists”.
“New media outlets and independent journalists have created the formula to circumvent the lies of the mainstream media and get real news directly to the American people,” Parnell wrote. “Their reach and impact collectively are far more effective and balanced than the self-righteous media who chose to self-deport from the Pentagon.”
-Right, Sean.
So we're now assured of getting only far right approved lies and pablum out of the Pentagon, and more reliable news outlets will now have to rely on other sources for the truth.
Today Is International Snep Day
Posted 2 weeks agoAs Recognized by the UN.
My fave sexy snep pic, from the amazing kemono artist Kikurage:
https://e621.net/posts/1419604?q=kikurage
My fave sexy snep pic, from the amazing kemono artist Kikurage:
https://e621.net/posts/1419604?q=kikurage
Trump Demos East Wing Of White House, And Mamdani V Cuomo
Posted 2 weeks agohttps://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....house_ballroom
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news.....lroom-reaction
Trump said in July
“It won’t interfere with the current building. It won’t be. It’ll be near it, but not touching it, and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of. It’s my favorite.”
No one has seen the plans for this embarassing, tacky, ostentatious gilt obscenity yet, but he's already completely demolished the East wing of the White House in preparation for building it.
It's ballooned from being 660 capacity at a projected cost of $200 million to 1000 capacity and a projected $300 million.
It's planned to be 9000 square feet, which would dwarf the entire current White House, which is 5500 square feet.
Trump said today that keeping the east wing would hurt a "Very, very beautiful expensive building".
Update of 10/24:
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....raze_east_wing
Trump keeps the government shut down, threatening widespread hunger for more than an eighth of the country, while building an obscene monument to himself. A true "Let them eat cake" moment.
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....23/ross_barkan
In addition to the quotes here, Cuomo quoted Mamdani as saying he supported "Global intifada" and that that means "Killing all Jews"
- Actually, that's NOT what that means, Mario. Intifada translates as struggle, and has absolutely nothing to do with "Killing Jews".
I predict that Mamdani will comfortably win this race. Cuomo and Sliwa are just jokes.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news.....lroom-reaction
Trump said in July
“It won’t interfere with the current building. It won’t be. It’ll be near it, but not touching it, and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of. It’s my favorite.”
No one has seen the plans for this embarassing, tacky, ostentatious gilt obscenity yet, but he's already completely demolished the East wing of the White House in preparation for building it.
It's ballooned from being 660 capacity at a projected cost of $200 million to 1000 capacity and a projected $300 million.
It's planned to be 9000 square feet, which would dwarf the entire current White House, which is 5500 square feet.
Trump said today that keeping the east wing would hurt a "Very, very beautiful expensive building".
Update of 10/24:
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....raze_east_wing
Trump keeps the government shut down, threatening widespread hunger for more than an eighth of the country, while building an obscene monument to himself. A true "Let them eat cake" moment.
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....23/ross_barkan
In addition to the quotes here, Cuomo quoted Mamdani as saying he supported "Global intifada" and that that means "Killing all Jews"
- Actually, that's NOT what that means, Mario. Intifada translates as struggle, and has absolutely nothing to do with "Killing Jews".
I predict that Mamdani will comfortably win this race. Cuomo and Sliwa are just jokes.
Israel Is Breaking The Ceasefire
Posted 2 weeks agoThey've killed around 100 Palestinians in the eleven days since this "Cease fire" began. This follows the pattern of the "Cease fire" between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, where Israel has been violating the terms of that agreement for around a year now, practically every day.
Israel is lawless, and cares nothing for agreements.
Most recently Israel engaged in bombing attacks all over Gaza, killing at least 46 Palestinians, supposedly because Hamas attacked troops in Rafah with RPGs on the 19th. Hamas is no longer in Rafah.
What actually happened was that two members of the IOF were blown up when they drove over some unexploded ordnance in an Isreali armored Cat D9 there.
Israel used this as an excuse to cut relief efforts in Gaza even more. Only 15% of the promised aid has entered Gaza. People there are still starving to death every day.
https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/1.....75192865821076
https://www.palestinechronicle.com/.....blast-reports/
As per usual, Israel lies, people die.
*Update of 10/22:
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....ered_ceasefire
-The Israelis killed at least 13 more people in Gaza yesterday.
Update of 10/23:
At least one more Palestinian was Killed by the IOF yesterday.
Israel is lawless, and cares nothing for agreements.
Most recently Israel engaged in bombing attacks all over Gaza, killing at least 46 Palestinians, supposedly because Hamas attacked troops in Rafah with RPGs on the 19th. Hamas is no longer in Rafah.
What actually happened was that two members of the IOF were blown up when they drove over some unexploded ordnance in an Isreali armored Cat D9 there.
Israel used this as an excuse to cut relief efforts in Gaza even more. Only 15% of the promised aid has entered Gaza. People there are still starving to death every day.
https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/1.....75192865821076
https://www.palestinechronicle.com/.....blast-reports/
As per usual, Israel lies, people die.
*Update of 10/22:
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....ered_ceasefire
-The Israelis killed at least 13 more people in Gaza yesterday.
Update of 10/23:
At least one more Palestinian was Killed by the IOF yesterday.
No Kings II Redux
Posted 2 weeks agohttps://www.backgroundbriefing.org/2025/10/19/ -first segment
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/10/20/no_kings
I attended the demonstration and march in Oakland yesterday. The one in June had around 5000 people, This one was easily twice as large.
Around five million people Attended the over 2600 demonstrations back in june. The early estimate of nationwide attendance this time is seven million people and over 2700 demonstrations, making it the largest demonstration in US history. Just judging from what I saw, I'm confident that the actual number is well over seven million.
No incidents of violence have been reported from anywhere.
Just driving over to it down San Pablo Ave., I saw groups of tens to hundreds of people on the side of the road demonstrating and receiving enthusiastic honks in return.
The Mood in Oakland was joyously defiant. There were endless handmade signs on the full range of topics. There were many American flags being flown, MOST of them star side up. There were many signs upholding Democracy and Patriotism.
Karoline Leavitt said yesterday that the demonstrations were "Made up of Hamas terrorists, illegal Aliens, and violent criminals".
There was absolutely none of the nonsense that people like Mike Johnson, Pam Bondi, or people like this yob said:
https://www.furaffinity.net/journal...../#cid:61321689
As a matter of fact, I have no doubt that what people like that were saying pissed many people off and inspired them to turn out.
There were people of every age and race, whole families with their dogs, and people in inflatable suits a la Portland. I was surprised at how few Keffiyehs I saw, unlike back in june where they were in abundance. I only noticed one person wearing one aside from myself.
At one point I found myself walking next to a group of people who burst into a spontaneous renditionion of Sly Stone's "Everyday People" in his home town, and of course I sang along. VERY Oakland.
We passed a dude in full colonial drag, Tricorner hat, waistcoat, buckle shoes and all, standing on the stairs of a building leading a chant of "Show me what Democracy looks like! This is what Democracy looks like!
There were countless moments like these. It was completely invigorating. The next one will be even larger.
We've got Drumpf and his fashy minions quaking in their boots. We will not be ignored or lied to.
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....dolores_huerta
-Huerta said
"People here that are right now being arrested, deported and terrorized, they are not immigrants. They are the Indigenous people of the continent. The real immigrants to the United States came from Europe, right?"
You BET she's right.
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/10/20/no_kings
I attended the demonstration and march in Oakland yesterday. The one in June had around 5000 people, This one was easily twice as large.
Around five million people Attended the over 2600 demonstrations back in june. The early estimate of nationwide attendance this time is seven million people and over 2700 demonstrations, making it the largest demonstration in US history. Just judging from what I saw, I'm confident that the actual number is well over seven million.
No incidents of violence have been reported from anywhere.
Just driving over to it down San Pablo Ave., I saw groups of tens to hundreds of people on the side of the road demonstrating and receiving enthusiastic honks in return.
The Mood in Oakland was joyously defiant. There were endless handmade signs on the full range of topics. There were many American flags being flown, MOST of them star side up. There were many signs upholding Democracy and Patriotism.
Karoline Leavitt said yesterday that the demonstrations were "Made up of Hamas terrorists, illegal Aliens, and violent criminals".
There was absolutely none of the nonsense that people like Mike Johnson, Pam Bondi, or people like this yob said:
https://www.furaffinity.net/journal...../#cid:61321689
As a matter of fact, I have no doubt that what people like that were saying pissed many people off and inspired them to turn out.
There were people of every age and race, whole families with their dogs, and people in inflatable suits a la Portland. I was surprised at how few Keffiyehs I saw, unlike back in june where they were in abundance. I only noticed one person wearing one aside from myself.
At one point I found myself walking next to a group of people who burst into a spontaneous renditionion of Sly Stone's "Everyday People" in his home town, and of course I sang along. VERY Oakland.
We passed a dude in full colonial drag, Tricorner hat, waistcoat, buckle shoes and all, standing on the stairs of a building leading a chant of "Show me what Democracy looks like! This is what Democracy looks like!
There were countless moments like these. It was completely invigorating. The next one will be even larger.
We've got Drumpf and his fashy minions quaking in their boots. We will not be ignored or lied to.
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....dolores_huerta
-Huerta said
"People here that are right now being arrested, deported and terrorized, they are not immigrants. They are the Indigenous people of the continent. The real immigrants to the United States came from Europe, right?"
You BET she's right.
Fight Fascism, And On George Santos
Posted 2 weeks agoI picked up a copy of this zine at the No Kings rally in Oakland yesterday. Here's the free download:
https://erinfongstudio.com/products.....t-fascism-zine
You can also pick up a hard copy here:
https://erinfongstudio.com/products.....t-fascism-zine
I would have taken a far more leftist stance had I written it myself, but I didn't.
I would point everyone to the definition of fascism here in particular, which of course fits Drumpf to a "T", but it's all at least good and worth reading.
And Trump committed the prison sentence of George Santos yesterday. Criminals gotta stick together, eh?
https://erinfongstudio.com/products.....t-fascism-zine
You can also pick up a hard copy here:
https://erinfongstudio.com/products.....t-fascism-zine
I would have taken a far more leftist stance had I written it myself, but I didn't.
I would point everyone to the definition of fascism here in particular, which of course fits Drumpf to a "T", but it's all at least good and worth reading.
And Trump committed the prison sentence of George Santos yesterday. Criminals gotta stick together, eh?
No Kings Day II
Posted 3 weeks agoTomorrow is the second No Kings Day, in what has been a season of non-stop protest since Drumpf assumed the presidency, against his attempted fascist takeover.
It's national, and even international, and will almost undoubtably be mnuch larger than the first one. It's EXTREMELY important that everyone who can hits the streets tomorrow.
There's probably a protest near you. You can locate them here:
https://www.nokings.org/
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/10/17/no_kings
Speaker Mike Johnson: “I encourage you to watch. We call it the 'Hate America' rally that will happen Saturday. Let’s see who shows up for that. I bet you see Hamas supporters. I bet you see antifa types. I bet you see the Marxists in full display.”
SEN. TED CRUZ: What I’ve been urging is, follow the money, cut off the money. And you look at this No Kings rally, and there’s considerable evidence that George Soros and his network is behind funding these rallies, which may well be riots all across the country, and Soros is writing the check. And so, I’ve introduced legislation called the Stop FUNDERs Act, that would add rioting to the list of predicate offenses for RICO.
-George Soros. Right. Isn't that tired old antisemitic cliche dead already? I'd sure love my share of that money. I've certainly attended enough protests to earn my spot on that gravy train by now, but I've still seen absolutely zip.
WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY KAROLINE LEAVITT: "The Democrat Party's main constituency are made up of Hamas terrorists, illegal aliens and violent criminals"
Leavitt continued that Trump and Republicans are the ones "standing up for law-abiding Americans."
-Note that Leavitt refuses to call the Democratic party by it's actual name.
See you in the streets tomorrow!
Stay safe, and watch out for provocateurs. This is a peaceful, but spirited and joyous protest.
Who keeps us safe? We keep us safe!
Here's a No Kings playlist for ya'all:
No King But the People - KC N Kind
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cNQEP-30wc
Effenus Henderson - No Kings
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/king.....enderson-5vu7c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sitctrEinw
The resistance revival chorus - There Ain’t no Kings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sitctrEinw
Lisa Bastoni - No Kings in America
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owM.....Msyw&t=13s
We Are The Power- Emma’s Revolution
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6z.....xmIk&t=12s
YG featuring Nipsey Hussle - Fuck Donald Trump
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlIREcAu0PI
-Rest in power Nipsey Hussle
ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE! WHEN WE FIGHT WE WIN!
It's national, and even international, and will almost undoubtably be mnuch larger than the first one. It's EXTREMELY important that everyone who can hits the streets tomorrow.
There's probably a protest near you. You can locate them here:
https://www.nokings.org/
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/10/17/no_kings
Speaker Mike Johnson: “I encourage you to watch. We call it the 'Hate America' rally that will happen Saturday. Let’s see who shows up for that. I bet you see Hamas supporters. I bet you see antifa types. I bet you see the Marxists in full display.”
SEN. TED CRUZ: What I’ve been urging is, follow the money, cut off the money. And you look at this No Kings rally, and there’s considerable evidence that George Soros and his network is behind funding these rallies, which may well be riots all across the country, and Soros is writing the check. And so, I’ve introduced legislation called the Stop FUNDERs Act, that would add rioting to the list of predicate offenses for RICO.
-George Soros. Right. Isn't that tired old antisemitic cliche dead already? I'd sure love my share of that money. I've certainly attended enough protests to earn my spot on that gravy train by now, but I've still seen absolutely zip.
WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY KAROLINE LEAVITT: "The Democrat Party's main constituency are made up of Hamas terrorists, illegal aliens and violent criminals"
Leavitt continued that Trump and Republicans are the ones "standing up for law-abiding Americans."
-Note that Leavitt refuses to call the Democratic party by it's actual name.
See you in the streets tomorrow!
Stay safe, and watch out for provocateurs. This is a peaceful, but spirited and joyous protest.
Who keeps us safe? We keep us safe!
Here's a No Kings playlist for ya'all:
No King But the People - KC N Kind
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cNQEP-30wc
Effenus Henderson - No Kings
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/king.....enderson-5vu7c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sitctrEinw
The resistance revival chorus - There Ain’t no Kings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sitctrEinw
Lisa Bastoni - No Kings in America
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owM.....Msyw&t=13s
We Are The Power- Emma’s Revolution
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6z.....xmIk&t=12s
YG featuring Nipsey Hussle - Fuck Donald Trump
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlIREcAu0PI
-Rest in power Nipsey Hussle
ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE! WHEN WE FIGHT WE WIN!
On Mark Bray And Antifa
Posted 3 weeks agohttps://www.democracynow.org/2025/10/15/mark_bray
As I mentioned previously, Professor Mark Bray has fled to Spain to protect his family after receiving death threats from Trump and Charlie Kirk inspired goons.
He is the author of Antifa: The Anti Fascist Handbook which is the best book about the true history and story of antifa:
https://mhpbooks.com/books/antifa
"What we’re seeing today in the U.S. is increasingly fascist. MAGA, I believe — and I study fascism, I don’t say this lightly — is a fascist movement,” says Bray, referring to Trump’s political movement.
ATTORNEY GENERAL PAM BONDI: "That’s one of the things about antifa. You’ve heard President Trump say multiple times they are organized, they are a criminal organization. And they’re very organized. You’re seeing people out there with thousands of signs that all match, pre-bought, pre-put together. They’re organized, and someone is funding it."
This is just a ridiculous lie.
SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON: "To demand oversight on federal law enforcement? I’ve not seen them cross the line yet, and that we have committees of jurisdiction who have that responsibility, but it’s not risen to that level. What I’ve seen is the abuse of law enforcement by radical leftist activists. You know, most recently, the most threatening thing I’ve seen yet was the naked bicyclers in Portland who were protesting ICE down there. I mean, it’s getting really ugly."
HAHAHAHAHA! Threatening. Right.
Turning Point USA, the far right campus group founded by Charlie Kirk, had called for Bray’s firing and branded him “Dr. Antifa.”, even though antifa is only one thing that Bray teaches about and covers. Kirk maintained a "Professor watchlist", which listed left-leaning professors, as if there was anything wrong with that.
As he and his family were about to board their flight to Spain, and had already gone through the security check, checking their luggage, etc., and were cleared to go, they found that when they were about to board the plane they were informed that their tickets and they could not board.
Bray said "This is around the same time that Andy Ngo and Jack Posobiec, two of the far-right provocateurs who had been harassing me online, were meeting in the White House with President Trump to discuss antifa. I just can’t believe it’s a coincidence."
Andy Ngo has also written a book about antifa. His book is anti-antifa, though. He's a shit disturber who gathered the "Information" for his book by attempting to goad antifa protesters into beating him up in Portland during the George Floyd uprisings there in 2020.
Bray said "The term “antifa” really kind of made its appearance in the U.S. in the late 2000s, but it’s not an organization. It’s more of a politics or a movement. I liken it to feminism. Sometimes there are feminist groups, but feminism itself is not a group. There are antifa groups, but antifa itself is not a group. It’s just sort of like more of a verb. It’s a thing you do to organize against the far right in decentralized groups.
Trump, of course, doesn’t care about any of that. It’s a useful bogeyman term to demonize protest, demonize resistance, equate it with terrorism. And it’s really, you know, an obvious page out of the textbooks about fascist and authoritarian leaders. It’s so — it’s such an obvious imitation of, you know, the kind of the Red Scare talk about communism, but applied to today."
"the paradox of fascism is that while it’s trying to gain power, it talks about the need for law and order, and to the degree that it gains power, it tramples all over the law. It does not care about the law or legality, due process, civil liberties. And so, this kind of call to murder people in this country, without, of course, even having gone through any due process — not that I’m in favor of capital punishment anyway, but that’s another story — it is this kind of example of calling for the strongman, in Trump, to use deadly force, without any evidence, against people accused of made-up crimes that are being equated with — you know, at times, some of the Trump administration people have compared it to — ISIS to antifa, right? So, to me, it’s really this kind of fascist attack on civil liberties.
And if they’re equating protesters with antifa, and they’re saying that they’re going to use the methods used for the people in the boats in the Caribbean on antifa, the implication is they are ready to kill American protesters. And, you know, we know the history of Kent State — right? — where students were gunned down in the '60s. It could happen again if we're not careful. So we really need to be very vigilant about this."
He's absolutely right about all of this.
As I mentioned previously, Professor Mark Bray has fled to Spain to protect his family after receiving death threats from Trump and Charlie Kirk inspired goons.
He is the author of Antifa: The Anti Fascist Handbook which is the best book about the true history and story of antifa:
https://mhpbooks.com/books/antifa
"What we’re seeing today in the U.S. is increasingly fascist. MAGA, I believe — and I study fascism, I don’t say this lightly — is a fascist movement,” says Bray, referring to Trump’s political movement.
ATTORNEY GENERAL PAM BONDI: "That’s one of the things about antifa. You’ve heard President Trump say multiple times they are organized, they are a criminal organization. And they’re very organized. You’re seeing people out there with thousands of signs that all match, pre-bought, pre-put together. They’re organized, and someone is funding it."
This is just a ridiculous lie.
SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON: "To demand oversight on federal law enforcement? I’ve not seen them cross the line yet, and that we have committees of jurisdiction who have that responsibility, but it’s not risen to that level. What I’ve seen is the abuse of law enforcement by radical leftist activists. You know, most recently, the most threatening thing I’ve seen yet was the naked bicyclers in Portland who were protesting ICE down there. I mean, it’s getting really ugly."
HAHAHAHAHA! Threatening. Right.
Turning Point USA, the far right campus group founded by Charlie Kirk, had called for Bray’s firing and branded him “Dr. Antifa.”, even though antifa is only one thing that Bray teaches about and covers. Kirk maintained a "Professor watchlist", which listed left-leaning professors, as if there was anything wrong with that.
As he and his family were about to board their flight to Spain, and had already gone through the security check, checking their luggage, etc., and were cleared to go, they found that when they were about to board the plane they were informed that their tickets and they could not board.
Bray said "This is around the same time that Andy Ngo and Jack Posobiec, two of the far-right provocateurs who had been harassing me online, were meeting in the White House with President Trump to discuss antifa. I just can’t believe it’s a coincidence."
Andy Ngo has also written a book about antifa. His book is anti-antifa, though. He's a shit disturber who gathered the "Information" for his book by attempting to goad antifa protesters into beating him up in Portland during the George Floyd uprisings there in 2020.
Bray said "The term “antifa” really kind of made its appearance in the U.S. in the late 2000s, but it’s not an organization. It’s more of a politics or a movement. I liken it to feminism. Sometimes there are feminist groups, but feminism itself is not a group. There are antifa groups, but antifa itself is not a group. It’s just sort of like more of a verb. It’s a thing you do to organize against the far right in decentralized groups.
Trump, of course, doesn’t care about any of that. It’s a useful bogeyman term to demonize protest, demonize resistance, equate it with terrorism. And it’s really, you know, an obvious page out of the textbooks about fascist and authoritarian leaders. It’s so — it’s such an obvious imitation of, you know, the kind of the Red Scare talk about communism, but applied to today."
"the paradox of fascism is that while it’s trying to gain power, it talks about the need for law and order, and to the degree that it gains power, it tramples all over the law. It does not care about the law or legality, due process, civil liberties. And so, this kind of call to murder people in this country, without, of course, even having gone through any due process — not that I’m in favor of capital punishment anyway, but that’s another story — it is this kind of example of calling for the strongman, in Trump, to use deadly force, without any evidence, against people accused of made-up crimes that are being equated with — you know, at times, some of the Trump administration people have compared it to — ISIS to antifa, right? So, to me, it’s really this kind of fascist attack on civil liberties.
And if they’re equating protesters with antifa, and they’re saying that they’re going to use the methods used for the people in the boats in the Caribbean on antifa, the implication is they are ready to kill American protesters. And, you know, we know the history of Kent State — right? — where students were gunned down in the '60s. It could happen again if we're not careful. So we really need to be very vigilant about this."
He's absolutely right about all of this.
Selected Headlines
Posted 3 weeks agoDemocracy Now! was on fire today. I'm choosing to feature some of their headlines today. I'll likely get to more from today's broadcast tomorrow.
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1....._kirk_comments
-"The U.S. State Department says it’s revoking the visas of six foreign nationals over social media comments they made about the assassination of far-right activist Charlie Kirk. On X, the State Department posted, “The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans. The State Department continues to identify visa holders who celebrated the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk.” The thread then went on to list examples of posts by the foreigners, identifying them as citizens of Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Paraguay and South Africa. It comes as President Trump posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Charlie Kirk during a White House Rose Garden ceremony on Tuesday."
More squashing of free speech, as well as the continuing completely nauseating lionization of the bigot Charlie Kirk.
www.democracynow.org/2025/10/15/hea.....rs_exposed_in_new_leak
-More of the Reps' typical fashy shit.
Vice President JD Vance posted on X, “I refuse to join the pearl clutching.”
So Vance supports blatant racism. Not particularly surprising. It's certainly not the first time.
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....elita_grijalva
-Speaker Johnson was asked whether he was delaying Grijalva’s swearing-in over the Epstein files, to which he lied, “It has nothing to do with that at all.” He's now being sued by Arizona over this.
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....ning_elections
-"President Donald Trump: “We’re going to work very much with the president. We think he’s going to win. He should win. And if he does win, we’re going to be very helpful. And if he doesn’t win, we’re not going to waste our time, because you have somebody whose philosophy has no chance of making Argentina great again.”
So Trump is giving $20 billion to Argentina conditioned on his buddy Milei winning the election, while he whines about the Dems shutting down the economy, and simultaneously meddles in Argentina's econony and politics. There is also another potenbtial $20 billion from tech sources and the investors mentioned below.
"It comes as critics point out that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s friends who lead major financial firms, including BlackRock, Fidelity and PIMCO, are heavily invested in Argentina and would benefit financially."
More of this administration's typical graft.
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....w_press_policy
-The only media organization to agree to this are Trump boot lickers One America News Network. Even Faux refused.
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1....._kirk_comments
-"The U.S. State Department says it’s revoking the visas of six foreign nationals over social media comments they made about the assassination of far-right activist Charlie Kirk. On X, the State Department posted, “The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans. The State Department continues to identify visa holders who celebrated the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk.” The thread then went on to list examples of posts by the foreigners, identifying them as citizens of Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Paraguay and South Africa. It comes as President Trump posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Charlie Kirk during a White House Rose Garden ceremony on Tuesday."
More squashing of free speech, as well as the continuing completely nauseating lionization of the bigot Charlie Kirk.
www.democracynow.org/2025/10/15/hea.....rs_exposed_in_new_leak
-More of the Reps' typical fashy shit.
Vice President JD Vance posted on X, “I refuse to join the pearl clutching.”
So Vance supports blatant racism. Not particularly surprising. It's certainly not the first time.
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....elita_grijalva
-Speaker Johnson was asked whether he was delaying Grijalva’s swearing-in over the Epstein files, to which he lied, “It has nothing to do with that at all.” He's now being sued by Arizona over this.
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....ning_elections
-"President Donald Trump: “We’re going to work very much with the president. We think he’s going to win. He should win. And if he does win, we’re going to be very helpful. And if he doesn’t win, we’re not going to waste our time, because you have somebody whose philosophy has no chance of making Argentina great again.”
So Trump is giving $20 billion to Argentina conditioned on his buddy Milei winning the election, while he whines about the Dems shutting down the economy, and simultaneously meddles in Argentina's econony and politics. There is also another potenbtial $20 billion from tech sources and the investors mentioned below.
"It comes as critics point out that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s friends who lead major financial firms, including BlackRock, Fidelity and PIMCO, are heavily invested in Argentina and would benefit financially."
More of this administration's typical graft.
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....w_press_policy
-The only media organization to agree to this are Trump boot lickers One America News Network. Even Faux refused.
A Lasting Peace In The Middle East?
Posted 3 weeks agoHahaha. No.
Despite Trump claiming such, and all of the breathless lionizing of him, It's highly unlikely.
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....med_abu_artema
"PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: [I’ve never seen anyone] move the world so quickly, so decisively, so resolutely, as our friend President Donald J. Trump. … With our military pressure and President Trump’s global leadership, we achieved this historic moment. It’s a moment of indescribable joy.
AMY GOODMAN: As President Trump addressed the Israeli Knesset, a group of leftist Israeli lawmakers briefly interrupted him by waving a sign calling him to “Recognize Palestine.”
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Everybody loves Steve, (Witkoff) and they respect him, and they somehow can relate to him. I’ve known him for many years, and I’ve seen it over — over and over again.
KNESSET CHAIR: [speaking in Hebrew]
KNESSET MEMBERS: Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump!
-These leftist Knesset members were shouted down, despite their protest being silent, and promptly thrown out and suspended.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: That was very efficient.
AMY GOODMAN: At one point, President Trump claimed the Gaza ceasefire will mark the beginning of a golden age for Israel and the Middle East.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I can tell you, we have weapons that nobody has ever dreamt of. I only hope we never have to use them. I rebuilt the military. I was proud to do it. But some of the things, I hated to do. I hated certain of the weapons, because the level of power is so enormous. It’s so dangerous, so bad. But we have to do what we have to do. We make the best weapons in the world, and we’ve got a lot of them. And we’ve given a lot to Israel, frankly. And —"
-I'll remind you once again that no Palestinians have been involved in any way in this "Peace plan". Until they are, there's no way that any kind of plan can will succeed.
"Renowned Israeli historian, author and professor Ilan Pappé discusses the postwar prospects of Palestinian statehood and of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is under investigation for corruption in Israel and subject to an international arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court. Despite the newly implemented Gaza ceasefire, says Pappé, Israeli political leaders have not changed their policy aim to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from their remaining territory. “Nothing has changed in the dehumanization and the attitude of this particular Israeli government and its belief that it has the power to wipe out Palestine as a nation, as a people and as a country,” he explains. Pappé’s latest book is titled Israel on the Brink: And the Eight Revolutions That Could Lead to Decolonization and Coexistence."
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....l_on_the_brink
Israel is already using Hamas's not immediately returning all of the dead hostages as an excuse to cut aid from 600 trucks a day by half, close the Rafah gate, and block cooking fuel, despite their long knowing that many of the bodies will likely never be found, and Hamas warning them days ago that they don't have access to all of the bodies because some of them have been buried under rubble by Israeli strikes, and Israel having purposely buried graveyards. Some of them are reportedly in areas off limits to the Palestinians, or were being held by people who are now dead. Israel is also not letting the type of heavy machinery into Gaza that would be necessary to use to remove the rubble burying these bodies, nor the people that Hamas says are critical in assisting them to find the rest of the dead..
They're being set up to fail already.
Despite Trump claiming such, and all of the breathless lionizing of him, It's highly unlikely.
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....med_abu_artema
"PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: [I’ve never seen anyone] move the world so quickly, so decisively, so resolutely, as our friend President Donald J. Trump. … With our military pressure and President Trump’s global leadership, we achieved this historic moment. It’s a moment of indescribable joy.
AMY GOODMAN: As President Trump addressed the Israeli Knesset, a group of leftist Israeli lawmakers briefly interrupted him by waving a sign calling him to “Recognize Palestine.”
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Everybody loves Steve, (Witkoff) and they respect him, and they somehow can relate to him. I’ve known him for many years, and I’ve seen it over — over and over again.
KNESSET CHAIR: [speaking in Hebrew]
KNESSET MEMBERS: Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump!
-These leftist Knesset members were shouted down, despite their protest being silent, and promptly thrown out and suspended.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: That was very efficient.
AMY GOODMAN: At one point, President Trump claimed the Gaza ceasefire will mark the beginning of a golden age for Israel and the Middle East.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I can tell you, we have weapons that nobody has ever dreamt of. I only hope we never have to use them. I rebuilt the military. I was proud to do it. But some of the things, I hated to do. I hated certain of the weapons, because the level of power is so enormous. It’s so dangerous, so bad. But we have to do what we have to do. We make the best weapons in the world, and we’ve got a lot of them. And we’ve given a lot to Israel, frankly. And —"
-I'll remind you once again that no Palestinians have been involved in any way in this "Peace plan". Until they are, there's no way that any kind of plan can will succeed.
"Renowned Israeli historian, author and professor Ilan Pappé discusses the postwar prospects of Palestinian statehood and of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is under investigation for corruption in Israel and subject to an international arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court. Despite the newly implemented Gaza ceasefire, says Pappé, Israeli political leaders have not changed their policy aim to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from their remaining territory. “Nothing has changed in the dehumanization and the attitude of this particular Israeli government and its belief that it has the power to wipe out Palestine as a nation, as a people and as a country,” he explains. Pappé’s latest book is titled Israel on the Brink: And the Eight Revolutions That Could Lead to Decolonization and Coexistence."
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....l_on_the_brink
Israel is already using Hamas's not immediately returning all of the dead hostages as an excuse to cut aid from 600 trucks a day by half, close the Rafah gate, and block cooking fuel, despite their long knowing that many of the bodies will likely never be found, and Hamas warning them days ago that they don't have access to all of the bodies because some of them have been buried under rubble by Israeli strikes, and Israel having purposely buried graveyards. Some of them are reportedly in areas off limits to the Palestinians, or were being held by people who are now dead. Israel is also not letting the type of heavy machinery into Gaza that would be necessary to use to remove the rubble burying these bodies, nor the people that Hamas says are critical in assisting them to find the rest of the dead..
They're being set up to fail already.
Indigenous People's Day
Posted 3 weeks agoThis morning I listened to the 46th annual broadcast of Radio Free Alcatraz on KPFA, which honors John Trudell's broadcasts there during the original takeover of Alcatraz in 1969.
Trump has said that he wants to take over Alcatraz and turn it into an immigration detention center for "The worst of the worst", a la Alligator Alcatraz. I explained why that will never happen here:
https://www.furaffinity.net/journal/11129642/
Today Democracy Now! had a segment where Julian Brave NoiseCat told the remarkable story of his new book, We Survived the Night.
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....ived_the_night
And here's Leonard Peltier on Hard Knock Radio:
https://kpfa.org/episode/hard-knock.....ember-30-2025/
Trump has said that he wants to take over Alcatraz and turn it into an immigration detention center for "The worst of the worst", a la Alligator Alcatraz. I explained why that will never happen here:
https://www.furaffinity.net/journal/11129642/
Today Democracy Now! had a segment where Julian Brave NoiseCat told the remarkable story of his new book, We Survived the Night.
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1.....ived_the_night
And here's Leonard Peltier on Hard Knock Radio:
https://kpfa.org/episode/hard-knock.....ember-30-2025/
The US Is Buying Russian Gas
Posted 3 weeks agohttps://www.npr.org/2025/09/08/nx-s.....ia-oil-imports
Well, not precisely, but here's the way it works:
India imports crude oil at a discount from Russia.
This crude is refined into consumer products, including gas, at India's largest refinery in Jamnagar, Gujarat, by Reliance Industries, which is owned by the Ambani family, and headed by the richest man in India, Mukesh Ambani.
These products are then sold around the world and to the US.
This while Trump is charging tariffs and berating European countries and India for Importing hydrocarbon products from Russia.
Yet more Hypocrisy from our fearless leader.
Well, not precisely, but here's the way it works:
India imports crude oil at a discount from Russia.
This crude is refined into consumer products, including gas, at India's largest refinery in Jamnagar, Gujarat, by Reliance Industries, which is owned by the Ambani family, and headed by the richest man in India, Mukesh Ambani.
These products are then sold around the world and to the US.
This while Trump is charging tariffs and berating European countries and India for Importing hydrocarbon products from Russia.
Yet more Hypocrisy from our fearless leader.
